Willmar tribune. [volume], October 06, 1909, Image 6

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
WITH COLORS.
The Incident That Ended His
Period of Probation.
By CLARICE ENGLE.
[Copyright, 1909, by Associated Literary
Press.]
A man picked his way slowly along
the sun baked trail that led westward
to Taggart across the desert. It was
high noon and the day had been hot
and dry and the man's throat was
parched with thirst. This did not tend
to lessen his ferocious aspect nor to
soften the anger that glowed In his
eyes. It was all due to his visit that
morning to the little ranch a few miles
behind, for there he had met with the
first failure In his life. He had pro
posed and been rejected.
it was not Bill Warren's nature to
be balked by anything. He usually
carried matters his own way and with
a high hand, as a result of which he
was looked upon as a sort of local
"bad man." But this cognomen was
applied to him only by people who did
not know Bill. In reality no better nor
kinder natured man than he ever rode
Into Taggart.
But Sue Patterson was one of those
who were not intimately acquainted
with Warren, and this assertiveness
she looked upon as something evil.
Therefore, although otherwise she
liked Warren better than any other of
her admirers, she felt that she was
acting quite right when she rejected
his offer of marriage.
All tiie consolation that she had
given him in answer to his earnest
pleading was that she would put him
on an indefinite probation and If he
came through it with flying colors why
—she would think about it.
All of which Warren took too liter
ally, and he thought that she had
spoken tbu« only to soften her refusal.
He became angry at the thought of It.
She don't care nothin' fer me," he
muttered savagely, "an' I know why.
It's all along of that sneakin' coyote,
Ralph Henderson. Been to Frisco an'
seen a few things an' comes out here
to lord it over us. I know the brand.
She's plumb 4oco over the cuss, too.
an' he ain't no man. No." he finished
spitefully, "he ain't no man."
He rode on across the desert in a
sort of dulled consciousness, with his
bat pulled well down over his eyes.
At length, toward the middle of the
afternoon, he came into the foothills.
Before him lay the Tooth of Time,
the largest mountain in that vicinity.
Beyond it, ten miles to the westward.
was Taggart. This necessitated his
taking the trail that wound round the
slope of the mountain. This trail was
hardly more than a well trodden foot
path and was only wide enough to per
mit a single rider upon it. One side
of it sloped up at an angle of almost
eighty degrees. The other formed the
side of a precipice that dropped a
sneer 200 feet to the sandy ravine be
low.
As he rode over the trail, lost in
thought. Warren was dead to external
sounds. He did not notice the fidget
ing of his horse nor his frightened
whinnies. He had no intimation what
ever that any one was approaching
along the trail from the opposite direc
tion. And yet not a hundred feet
ahead of him a horse and rider were
rounding the curve of the mountain.
Neither noticed the other until they
were fifty feet apart. Then by some
strange intuition both raised their
heads. Recognition was mutual and
instantaneous, for the man ahead of
Warren was Ralph Henderson.
The faces of both men paled with
fear. Not in years had two men met
on that narrow trail, and It seemed
some strange intervention of destiny
that it should be Warren and Hender
son. While the face of the cattleman
grew anxious, that of Henderson be
came quickly overshot with a crafty
cunning.
"Hello!" he drawled pleasantly.
"Hello!" muttered Warren nervously.
"Well, what are we going to do
about It?" the city man continued. "It
looks as if you'd have to go back."
"Not by a sight!" snapped War
ren. "There's no turning about for
either of us. We'll have to manage to
pass each other. The place seems pret
ty wide here."
"Flip a coin for the inner side," sug
gested the other, suddenly reaching a
hand into his pocket.
'Right," agreed Warren, "but let's
have a look at it first."
Henderson's face turned scarlet and
he stayed his hand. "I declare, I'm ail
out of coin." he rattled sheepishly.
"Here's an' eagle," replied Warren,
with narrow eyes. "Heave her up!
Heads I pass on the inside, tails I pass
on the outside."
He tossed the coin to Henderson as
he spoke who. pale faced and hesitat
ing, fumbled with it a moment and
let it fly up into the air with a twirl
of a veteran trickster. It fell down on
the trail at their feet, ringing out clear
and cold.
"Tails!" cried the city man, overcome
with excitement. His face resumed
something of its natural color and the
old craftiness stole into his eyes.
Warren accepted his fate nonchal
antly, although he knew that it might
mean death for him. There was one
thing about it. however, that galled
bim. He well knew that Henderson
was on his way to the Patterson ranch,
and it came to him as a rather bitter
thought that ho might have to play
the martyr and sacrifice bis own life
in order that the man could do so. But
without a word he pressed his pony's
ribs with his heels and rode forward.
Henderson had drawn his horse as
close as he could against the side of
the mountain, but he seemed over
taken by fli of nervousness, for the
reins shook in his hands and the cold
came and went in his dark cheeks.
The ledge whore Warren would have
to pass Henderson was somewhat
wider than the rest of the trail, and
he rode forward light hearted and con
fident that he would easily accomplish
it. But just as he brushed against the
side of Henderson the latter suddenly
drove his spurs with great force
against his horse's ribs. With a snort
of terror the animal plunged madly
forward, dislodging the other horse
and rider and sending them hurtling
down and over the edge of the preci
pice. ...Then he went careening down
jrf
-fM
the slope.
The breath went oat of Warren as
soon as he felt himself falling, and un
der the sickening sensation that ensued
be lost consciousness. A stinging pain
In his leg finally awoke him. Braised
and bleeding, be now sat up and gazed
about him. He bad landed In the
branches of a tree that jutted, out from
the slope of the mountain. Down be*
low on the sand he could see the form
of his horse, dead as a stone.
The first thing Warren did was to
swear. Then he looked to bis leg. It
had been broken Just below the knee.
As he started to wrap his handkerchief
about it he heard a sound from above.
Over the rim of the precipice a bushy
head was peering.
"Hello!" It called. "Kin ye manage
ef I send down a rope?"
"Sure." Warren yelled back.
A minute later the end of a lariat
came whirling down through space.
Warren caught it, made it feist about
his body, and then, clinging to it with
both bands, ordered the man above to
hoist away. A few moments later he
crawled up over the ledge and lay
panting for breath at old Jem Patter
son's feet.
"I seen the hull thing. BUI." began
the latter as he undid the rope about
the man's body. "Henderson will swing
for this or I'll shoot him on sight. I
was comin* along a mite behind htm
an' I seen him Jab the buckskin and
then scoot." But Warren was uncon
scious before the man finished speak*
ing, and Patterson lifted him up on his
pony after great difficulty and started
down the trail for home.
When Warren next regained con
sciousness he was lying on a bed in a
dimly lighted room. Soft hands were
bandaging his head and soothing
words fell from the lips of their own
er. Warren opened bis eyes and took
in the situation at a glance.
"Sue," he demanded fiercely, "has
that skunk been here?"
"Sh!" she murmured, touching a fin
ger to bis lips. "He has not been here.
Evidently he has skipped the country.
Father has told me all about it—the
honorable way in which you acted and
Henderson's treachery. You have In
deed behaved splendidly."
"Sue!" cried the man eagerly, start
ing up.
"Be quiet." she admonished smiling
ly. Then she added, "Tour probation
is over, and you have come through
it nobly."
And then Warren claimed his own.
Builder of the Great Wall of China.
To superstitious notions Chin added
the lust of luxury, his life being a
blaze of oriental magnificence. He
built a wonderful palace, which has
been described In the Imperial History
as having certain gorgeous annexes at
tached at intervals, the whole extend
ing over a distance of a hundred miles.
In consequence of his life of luxury
perhaps he became more and more a
prey to superstition, and it may be
that because of this he completed the
Great wall. At any rate, history re
cords that he was Informed by proph
ecy that in time be would be over
whelmed and destroyed by outside
enemies. So be mobilized an army
of 300,000 men to work on the Great
wall and if necessary to fight in its
behalf. Chin's design evidently was
to inclose his massive empire in a
rampart which should have the shape
of a horseshoe, with the heel calks at
the ocean shore. He did not plan to
parallel the coast with a wall, doubt
less considering that seaside an ample
protection to a country vast and dense
ly populated. The wall is not for
modern use. It is an ancient fossil,
the largest fossil on the earth. But
fossils are useful and truthful. It Is
a dividing line between two civiliza
tions and between two eras. In space
it cut off the herdsmen of the north
from the tillers of the south.—William
Edgar Geil in Harper's.
Why 8he Was Glad.
A young Louisville man who was
out west not long ago has returned,
telling a yarn which he admits' is not
at his own expense, but which he de
clares to be about one of the most in
teresting experiences of even his check
ered career.
"I was walking along the street in
a western town," he said, "when sud
denly across the way I saw a Louis
ville girl whom I recognized immedi
ately. She saw me, too, and I expect
ed her to bow rather coolly and dis
tantly, as had been her wont back
home. I was considerably astonished,
therefore, when she dashed across the
street, seized me with both hands and
fairly bubbled over in her delight. I
was so surprised. In fact, that I com
mented on it.
'I'm glad to see you, too,' I said
when I bad managed to extricate my
self from her exuberant greeting
'but, to tell you the truth, I hadn't ex
pected to see you so excited over my
appearance. You always treated me
rather a la iceberg at home, you know.
What has caused your change of
heart?'
"She was nonplused for only a mo
ment and then explained, 'Mr. Smith.
I've been away from home so long
that I'd be glad to see even a dog if
he came from Kentucky!'
"I let It go at thaf'-Louisville Cou
rier-Journal.
Difficult to Do.
A teacher in one of Brooklyn's pub
lic schools is a stickler for cleanliness.
So often have orders come that clean
liness must be observed among the
boys in her class that some of the
urchins have even inquired of their
parents what it means to manicure
their finger nails.
Of course there is a "bad boy" in the
class. One day the teacher said to
him. "Tommy, do you know there is a
great deal of dirt behind your ears?"
"There ain't neither," sassed Tom
my.
"It is wrong to dispute m*»." said
the teacher, "but you need not take my
word for It. If you really do not be
lieve me, look for yourself!"—New York
Times.
In the Sandwich Islands the apple
has become wild, and whole forests of
trees, many acres hi extent, are found
in various parts of the country. They
extend from the level of the sea far
up Into the mountain sides. It is said
that miles of these apple forests can
occasionally be seen, and very beauti
ful they are. both when In flower and
In fruit
THE WLUWf
GOURD BANK.
The Riches It Received at the
Cost of a Great Sacrifice.
By FRANK H. 8 W E E
•Copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso
ciation.]
"Nick." said Mr. Jim Conway. In
terrupting the tune he was whistling
to address the man who rode beside
bim, "I hain't felt so much like a boy
in years!"
"Nor me either." returned Mr. Nich
olas Nickeraon, also breaking off in
the midst of a whistled tune. "I feel
like I'd jest broke out of a cage."
They were rough bearded, carelessly
dressed men with sun browned faces
and toil hardened hands, but they
were as happy as kings in purple and
fine linen. They were going home.
For almost one-half their lives they
had called wherever they happened to
be in the west "home," but now they
were on their way back to the place
where they were born.
"Queer," said Conway slowly, "that
the longer a man stays away from the
old home neighborhood the better he
likes it. When I left it I was so tired
of them simple old scenes that I
thought I hated 'em. But now"—
He paused, half ashamed to tell his
comrade more.
"Yes," agreed Nickerson "after
awhile every old tree an' rock an'
slope an' medder that he ort to have
forgotten long ago kinder—kinder
seems like a brother."
"A man gits kinder hungry to see
'em again," said Conway.
"Yep kinder hungry."
They said no more for some time
after that, but did not resume their
whistling.
"Wonder if anybody '11 know us till
we tell 'em who we are?" said Nicker
son after awhile.
"Doubtful mebby not then. Most of
the old timers are gone, an' the younger
ones won't know us. But the old hills
an' streams an' crooks In the road
won't be strangers."
"No. Kinder queer, but I've thought
more about them than about the peo
ple—none of mine are left now, you
know."
"Nor mine," said Conway. "Father,
mother and brother dead and two sis
ters married and gone."
The sun was dropping behind a
bank of heavy clouds slowly rising
from above the western edge of the
prairie when they reached a home
stead claim and rode along its fence
of barbed wire toward a weather beat
en little home near the farther corner.
The fence was overgrown in places
with last summer's weeds, and here
and there a post lopped over, rotted
off at the bottom, but partially up
held by the tension of the wire.
Yet in that weather beaten little
house dwelt a capitalist, the sole pro
prietor of a bank and treasure there
in.
The bank, which sat beside a crazy
Old clock on a shelf made of the side
CONWAY AND NICKERSON DBEW BEIN.
of a soap box. was a small, pudgy yel
low gourd that stood up on Its larger
end and bad a slit beside Its stem for
the introduction of deposits.
In it was a capital of 11 cents.
The capitalist was Jackson Bascom,
over whose towey head almost four
years bad passed. Ten cents of the
money had been tossed before him by
a passing horseman, who bad seen the
old mannish looking baby perched on
the low top bar that helped to fill a
gap In the wire fence and wanted to
see "the little fellow smile a dime's
worth," as he expressed it.
Jackson had tumbled from the bar
with a shout, picked up the two nick
els and put them into the gourd
bank with the penny which bad been
the bank's sole capital for many a day
before that
It was a little more than a week
after the time of the bank's great in
crease In capita) when Conway and
Nickerson drew rein before the weath
er beaten little house.
Jackson had been perched upon the
bar until within a quarter of an hour
of their arrival. He bad been startled
from his perch by a cry of alarm from
Lyddy In the bouse. Poor. weak,
worn, hopeless Mrs. Bascom had fallen
In something very like a faint.
When, a little later, Conway and
The Teacher—Do you know what an
Island Is, Tommy?
The Boy—Do you mean Blackwell's
island?
"Well, yes."
"Why, It's a piece of land entirely
surrounded by guards." Yonkers
Statesman.
Auctioneer—Now, gentlemen, how
much am I bid for this oil painting of
the dogs?
Buyer-A shilling.
Auctioneer-Only a shilling? Why,
air, the canvas Is worth that!
Buyer-Yes, but the canvas is spoiled.
—London Tit-Bits,
Nickerson rode up to the barway the
cloud wall that had risen from the
west was halfway across the skyjand
dusk was falling. :T%-'
"Rain in ten minutes," said Conway
laconically.
They tied their hones to the posts,
swung themselves over the low bars
and advanced to the house. 1
The door was open, and the* 'men
saw the children gathered about the
fainting woman. There were Lyddy,
an old faced, anxious looking girl of
twelve or thirteen Jimmy and John
ny, grave little fellows of about ten
and eight, and Jackson, the capitalist
Lyddy had bathed her mother's wan
face with cool water, and Jimmy and
Johnny were fanning her with their
tattered straw hats. Jackson stood
back and looked solemnly on. and his
distress was none the less great be
cause be was not crying.
"Can we do anything?" asked Con
way as the two looked in at the door.
"I am better now," said Mrs. Bas
com weakly, but gratefully, raising her
head from the shabby old lounge where
the children had placed her. "It will
soon pass away it always does."
"If we can do anything"— began
Nickerson slowly.
"Won't you come in?" invited Mrs.
Bascom, with a feeble attempt to be
hospitable. "Lyddy. set chairs for the
gentlemen."
The dusk was fast deepening. The
cloud wall had spread across the sky.
and a few great drops of the coming
storm were plashing down.
"Much obliged to you, mom," return
ed Conway, "but if we can't be of any
help we'll ride on. Is there any place
near here where we can git accommo
dations for the night?"
"The nearest house is two miles
away," said Mrs. Bascom. "You can't
ride on in the storm. You are welcome
to put your horses in the barn and stop
here."
The men made a show of remon
strance.
"We needn't eat much," Nickerson
whispered to his comrade, "an* we can
pay for what we git."
The horses were hardly under shel
ter before the rain increased to a down
pour.
"Where," began Conway—"that is.
Is your husband comin' home soon?"
"He is dead," answered Mrs. Bas
com.
By this time she was able to sit up
on the rude lounge.
"Lyddy," she said, "set out a bite
for the gentlemen to eat. We haven't
got much, but you're welcome to what
there is."
"Thank ye. mom," returned Conway
awkwardly.
The children were shy at first, bat
when the frugal meal was over and
the men were sitting back from the
table while Lyddy cleared it off little
Jackson advanced gravely and climb
ed on Conway's knee.
"Were you doln'. mister?" he asked.
"Hush, Jackson!" said his mother.
"Oh, jest leave 's tell as not. mom!"
said Conway. "Me an' Nickerson are
on our way back to the old Indiana
home we left twenty-five years ago."
"What part of Indiana?" asked the
widow, with pitiful eagerness.
"Green county—Spencervllle."
The woman's eager look faded away.
"We are from Burtls." she said.
"An' we're doln' back dere pretty
soon!" spoke up Jackson cheerfully.
"That so, mom?" asked Conway
heartily. "That's good!"
"I—1—we"— began the widow weak
ly.
She glanced at the children, and
there was an undercurrent of hope
lessness in her low voice that told the
men that, though she did not wish to
destroy the hope of the children, she
felt little for herself.
"Yes, mom." Interrupted Conway,
understanding. "It costs a heap of
money. I—right heavy rain fallln'.
hain't It?"
"I dot money," Jackson uttered tri
umphantly, "in my bank! We doln'
pretty soon."
He scrambled down from Conway's
knee.
"Did my bank, Yyddy!" he com
manded. When it was handed down
to him he brought it triumphantly to
Conway.
"Money!" he chuckled. "Doin* back
to Ind'ana pretty soon!"
Nickerson saw that there were tears
in the widow's eyes.
"Want to look at my knife. Jack
son?" he asked, producing a huge,
many bladed affair, with a corkscrew
in the back.
Jackson' grasped it. marveled and
was silent. Presently he fell asleep
in Conway's lap. with the huge knife
in his clutch.
The men. with awkward kindness,
tried to talk of other things, but Mrs.
Bascom kept returning to the one sub
ject ever in her thoughts—tbo old
home.
"I have been hoping for years to
go," she said, "but"—
"Same way with us, mom!" returned
Conway. "Me an* Nickerson got to
gether four years ago—we came from
the same old town at about the same
time, but never happened to meet
again till four years ago—an* ever
since we've been figgerin' on takin' a
Ja'nt back there, but never got to it
til! now. We've finally managed to
save up enough to make the trip."
Presently the widow told them a
part of her story. She glossed over
the fallings of her dead husband, but
a word or phrase let fall here and
there told Conway and Nickerson what
kind of man be had been.
Jackson Bascom the elder had been
neither depraved nor vicious. He had
been simply a combination of over
bopefulness and laziness—a contented
waiter for something to turn up.
In the meantime be farmed the
homestead In a half hearted fashion,
which brought scarcely enough to rive
miserably upon.
The years passed on. but the rail*
First Shade-Whafs the matter with
that fellow Diogenes?
Second Shade-He has found an
honest man.
First Shade-Well, ain't he glad?
Second Shade-Not any. The honest
man stole bis lantern,—St Paul Dis
patch.
The deepest metal mines are still In
the Lake Superior copper region. There
the Red Jacket shaft of the Calumet
and Hecla mine is 4.020 feet vertical,
while the Tamarack has two shafts
over 5,000 feet deep—namely. No. 6V
which Is 5,180 feet, and No. 8, which
is 6\230 feet vertical.
yf'?$P%s.6 "/&'" ?'.
load never came. When the claim De
came his own Bascom mortgaged it
and dribbled away the proceeds.
By and by he died, leaving a broken
down, heartsick woman and half help
less children.
The future held but little promise
for them. Before long the mortgage
on the homestead would fall due. and
they knew from the first that they
would not be able to satisfy it. The
home would have to go.
Mrs. Bascom had longed to return to
the old borne state, at first hopefully,
then doubtfully, and at last In dreary
hopelessness. The longing at last be
came almost a monomania with the
poor woman.
When one's heart is full of a beloved
subject one must talk of it and the
FUMBLED FOR A MOMENT WITH THE
GOURD BANK.
mother told the children of it till they
longed to go almost as ardently as she
did.
Though she bad hoped long, her
courage and strength gave way slowly
as her health declined.
"I have wanted to go for so long,"
she said, concluding the story. "But
now"— She ended with a sigh.
The two strangers understood how
much of real heroism there was in
that simple recital and were silent
when it was done.
Then little Jackson woke up and be
gan to examine again the wonderful
knife with great interest To divert
the thoughts of the others as much as
possible Nickerson diplayed and ex
plained the mechanism of the knife,
exposing the corkscrew, opening out
the hook for removing stones from
horses' hoofs, revealing the tweezers,
the saw blade, the file and the screw
driver.
Jackson alternately whooped with
delight and stared In mute amazement.
Then he suddenly held out the gourd
bank to Nickerson and reached for
the knife.
"Me'll trade wid you." he said.
Trade his bank and its treasures, al
most sufficient In his eyes to take them
to Indiana, for the wonderful knife
which he wanted so badly! Poor lit
tle fellow!
"I—wait till mornin', Jackson," said
Nickerson. "We'll see about It then."
When Jackson was packed away in
bis little trundle bed the knife went
with him.
After the men had retired to the pal
let that Lyddy spread on the floor
they talked in tones so low that the
occupants of the other room did not
hear them.
"She won't live long unless she
goes." said Conway.
"Nobody thar'll know us or keer any
thing about us." said Nickerson.
They said but few words more.
They lay very still for a long time, and
the other occupants of the little house
did not hear them when they arose,
just before the east was turning gray.
They donned their garments and then,
in the dimness of the room, Nickerson
banded Conway something which he
had taken out of his pocket and passed
out of the house as noiseless as pos
sible.
Conway took something from his
own pocket and. tiptoeing and feeling
his way to the table, wrote in the
darkness a few words with a stub of
pencil on a scrap of paper. Then he
made his way to the clock shelf and
fumbled for a moment with the gourd
bank.
Then he stepped softly to the door
and passed out into the drizzle and
through the barway, beyond which
Nickerson was holdiug their horses.
They mounted and rode away in the
dreary rain—back to the westward, in
the direction from which they had
come.
"Nobody 'd know us thar anyhow!"
said Conway after awhile in a gruff
way.
"Nor keer about us!" returned Nick
erson.
When morning dawned the light
shining in through the little window of
the weather beaten house fell upon
little Jackson sleeping in the trundle
bed with NIckersou's wonderful knife
still clutched In his hand, and In the
other room the light revealed a corner
of green paper sticking out through
the slit in the gourd bank.
The Bascoms discovered it before
long and looked into the bank. Tbe
little gourd was carelessly stuffed with
greenbacks and national banknotes—
the money which Jim Conway and
Nick Nickerson had hoarded to take
them back to Indiana.
As the money was pulled out a scrap
of dirty white paper appeared. On it
was written in Conway's rude hand:
"To take you back borne. God bless
you!"
A Pennsylvania man has solved the
relatfve-ln-law problem. When his
wife's family visit his home and stay
overtime he charges board and has
them arrested if they refuse to pay.
In this way relatives-in-law can do
much toward making happy homes—
Baltlmore American.
Markley—I. suppose you were sur
prised that I sent for you.
Dr. Burroughs—Yes you don't ap*
Dear to be In need of a physician.
Markley-No. but I'm in need of that
15 I loaned you some time ago.
Dr. Burroughs-Ah! Well, I charge
15 per visit We're square.
The particular species of crocus that
has from time immemorial been culti
vated for its dried stigmas, a product
known under the name of saffron, is
Crocus sativus, which Is wild from
Italy to Kurdistan. Saffron may be
reckoned among the very oldest of
vegetable products, being alluded to hi
the Song of Solomon among other
spices of Lebanon. The name crocus
is Chaldean or Greek and was first
used by Theophrastus of Eresus about
850 B. C, and that it was a well
known and admired flower in Greece
soon afterward is shown by Sophocles,
who mentions the "crocus of golden
beam" in his "Cedipus at Colonos."
The word saffron seems to be a cor
ruption of the Arabic name "al zahafa
ran," and the product itself was first
imported into England as a spice or
condiment being also used as a color
or dye for silks and other fabrics of
the eastern looms.
At a later date, exactly when is not
known, tbe plant itself was cultivated
in England, more especially in Essex,
in which county the name of Saffron
Walden remains in evidence of the
fact Again, we have in London Saf
fron hill, which formerly was a site
Included in the bishop of Ely's garden
at Holborn. once famous for Its saf
fron beds as well as for its strawber
ries. Today, however, saffron is but
little used.—London Chronicle.
SUGAR AND CANDY.
8atisfy the Cravings of the Children
For Sweets.
Children may eat too much sugar,
and they may also stay too long in
their bathtub, or in the creek when
they go in swimming, or get tanned or
a headache from playing too long in
the sun. or chilled by staying too long
in tbe open air, but is that any sound
reason why tbey should be deprived of
sweets, sunlight, baths and fresh air
or discouraged from Indulging in
them?
All that Is needed, says Dr. Woods
Hutchinson in Success Magazine, is a
little common sense regulation and ju
dicious supervision, not prohibition or
denunciation. Most of the extraordi
nary craving for pure sugar and can
dy, which is supposed to lead the
average child to inevitably "founder
himself" if left to his own sweet will
and a box of candy, is due to a state
of artificial and abnormal sugar star
vation, produced by an insufficient
amount of this invaluable food in its
regular diet
Children who are given plenty of
sugar on their mush, bread and but
ter and puddings, a regular allowance
of cake and plenty of sweet fruits are
almost free from this craze for candy,
this tendency to gorge themselves to
surfeit and can usually be trusted
with both the candy box and the sugar
bowl.
Parker House Rolls.
Materials.—Three tablespoonfuls of
butter, one teaspoonful of salt one-half
cupful of lukewarm water, one yeast
cake, two cupfuls of new milk, one ta
blespoonful of sugar, two egg whites
and six cupfuls of flour.
Way of Preparing.—Scald the milk
and add to it the sugar, salt and but
ter. Let stand until lukewarm, then
add three cupfuls of flour and beat for
five minutes. Add ths dissolved yeast
and let stand until it Is a very light,
frothy mass, then add the egg whites,
beaten to a stiff froth, and the remain
ing flour. Let rise again until it is
twice its original bulk, place on your
molding board, knead lightly and then
roll into a sheet half an Inch thick.
Take a large biscuit cutter and cut the
dough into rounds. Brush with melted
butter, fold over and press tbe edges
together. Place in a buttered pan one
Inch apart Let rise until very light
and bake In a hot oven fifteen minutes.
-National Food Magazine.
A Duck of a Man.
Ellen Terry and Mr. Balfour met for
the first time at the table of Henry
W. Lucy in London. During tbe en
suing conversation Miss Terry re
mained strangely silent. Presently
the Unionist leader had to leave for
the bouse of commons, and Ellen
Terry at last found her tongue. Her
host was relieved to find that she had
not been bored. Bringing ber closed
band down on the table, she exclaimed
with a glance toward the door through
which Mr. Balfour bad passed, "I
think that's a duck of a man!"
Advantages.
"I suppose you are glad to be free
again?"
Tbe ex-convict sidestepped a trolley
car, dodged an auto and looked nerv
ously toward a clanging ambulance.
"Oh, of course, of course," he said.
"But let me tell you a man in prison
feels mighty safe/'-Pbiladelphia Led
ger.
A Drawback.
'Tour ocean trip was pretty nice, I
s'pose?"
"Oh, yes."
"Saw icebergs and such things, eh?"
"Yes. but I missed the billboards. I
can tell 'you."—Washington Herald.
Caution Extraordinary.
"You have a night key?"
"Of course," answered Mr. Meekton.
"only I'm so careless that Henrietta
keeps it locked up in the safety de
posit so that I won't lose It"—Wash
ington Star.
Amateurish.
"Am I the first girl you ever kissed?"
"You are—I swear it!*
"I accept your apology."—Cleveland
Leader.
A Roumanian Custom.
A strange custom is still observed it
Roumauia. When a servant has dis
pleased his or her master tbe offendet
takes his boots In his hands and place*
them before the bedroom door of bis
master. It is a sign of great submis
•ion. and the boots are either kicked
•way as an intimation that the fault
will not be forgiven, or else the serv
•nt Is told to place them on his feet,
which shows that h* IH forgiven.
Always find out how much a thing
going to cost before you order it
Ton can save money by this precau
tion.—Atchison Globe.
--, fc
THE SAFFRON PUNT. AFTER THE BATTLE.
It Is Among the Very Oldest of the
Vegetable Products.
Incident That Seemed to Explain
Joshua's Miracle.
There was an Incident In our life at
Brandy, connected with Gettysburg,
which is worth relating. Batchelder,
whose map of tbe battlefield of Gettys
bury is authority and whom we bad
fallen in with while we were there,
asked to join our mess at Brandy when
he came to the army to verify tbe po
sitions of the various commands. One
night we had just sat down to dinner
when he entered our big hospital tent
quite tired.
"Well," be announced after taking
his place at the table. "I have been
down in the Second corps today, and I
believe I have discovered bow Joshua
made the sun stand still. 1 first went
to regiment and had the officers
mark on the map the hour of their
position at a certain point. Then I
went to regiment In the same bri
gade. They declared positively it was
one or two hours earlier or later than
that given by the other. So it went
on. no two regiments or brigades
agreeing, and if I hinted that some of
them must certainly be mistaken they
would set me down by saying with
severe dignity. 'We were there. Batch
elder, and we ought to know, 1 guess,'
and I made up my mind that it would
take a day of at least twenty hours
Instead of thirteen at Gettysburg to
satisfy their accounts. So when Josh
ua's captains got around him after the
fight and they began to talk it over
the only way under the heavens that
be could ever harmonize their state
ments was to make the sun stand still
and give them all a chance."
Any one who has ever tried to estab
lish the exact position or hour when
anything took place in an engagement
will confirm Batchelder's experience
and possibly, if not too orthodox, ac
cept his explanation of Joshua's feat
—Morris Schaff in Atlantic.
A MONSTER SKULL
One That Was Said to Be Bigger Than
a Bushel Basket.
One of the most remarkable finds of
gigantic human remains of which we
have any record was that said to have
been made at Palermo. Sicily, in the
year 1516. when an entire skeleton of
unheard of proportions was unearthed
by some marble quarry men. These
mammoth remains measured exactly
thirty-four feet from head to foot and
niue feet seven inches from point to
point of the shoulders.
A stone ax buried with this old time
giant may still be seen at Palermo in
section "Z" of the St. Isorent museum.
It is made of a bluish looking, fine
grained bowlder and appears to be
about two feet eight inches long by one
foot broad and nine inches through in
the thickest place. A musty, rusty look
ing tag attached to the relic informs
the visitor that it weighs fifty-two
pounds, but the general verdict is that
it could not weigh over thirty or thir
ty-five pounds.
The skeleton was burned by a mob
in the year 16G2 during the prevalence
of the black death at Palermo, the
Ignorant, superstitious people believ
ing that it was connected In some mys
terious way with the death dealing dis
temper. The skull of this giant, ac
cording to Abbe Ferregus. "was large
ly excessive of the baskets sayd to
hold the bushel, being fitted above and
belowe withe teeth to the number of
sixty-foure. the each of which would
have weighed two ounces."
Cavalier Scroy claimed to have found
a skull on Tenerife that bad sixty
teeth.—Westminster Gazette.
Animal Mimicry.
Observers of nature are frequently
struck with the singular resemblances
of insects to leaves, dried sticks, etc.,
and these likenesses are supposed to
have grown out of the necessity of
protection against or concealment
from enemies. Au interesting example
of this kind of resemblance was
brought to the attention of the En
tomological society in London by a
naturalist who exhibited a spider
found inhabiting some rocks near
Cannes, on which were also fastened
tbe cases of a species of moth. When
at 'Vest the spider exhibited almost
precisely tbe same form and color as
tbe moth cases surrounding it
Can't Beat 'Em.
As usual, be was monopolizing the
newspaper.
"Please let me have the woman's
page." she said.
He carefully tore off a page and
handed it to ber.
It was a full page advertisement of
a millinery opening, and he chuckled
at his own little joke.
Still, she was revenged. Sbe went to
the opening, and be paid the bill.—Chi
cago Post
An Ample Test.
The Insurance Agent—Sure your
heart isn't weak? The Insured One—
Oh. yes. yes. The Agent—Ever test
it? The Insured—Yes. indeed. I
watched a fifteen inning ball game
with the score 1 to 1.—Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
Open Confession.
Aunty—Tommy. I put three pies In
here yesterday, and now there is only
one. How Is that? Tommy—Please,
it was so dark, aunty, I din't see that
one!—London Punch.
The Reason.
Discontented Wife—Several of the
men .whom I refused when 1 married
you are richer than you are now.
Tbe Husband—That's why.—Dins
trated Bits.
He is the noblest who has raised
himself by his own exertions to a
higher station.—Cicero.
The Falling Barometer.
The rich man was enjoying his first
cruise on his new yacht
Suddenly the captain came aft He
looked anxious.
"What's the good word, captain?"
the owner asked.
"The barometer is falling rapidly,"
the skipper nervously answered.
"You must have hung It on a loose
nail." the owner pleasantly suggested.
—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Teacher—Harry, what did you make
a face at me for?
Harry—Please, ma'am, because I
THE TOWN THAT
PUSH BUILT
V.—The Wily Furniture Nan
HERE
is the furniture dealer who
read
A clothier's ad. and by it was led
To spend for clothing the selfsame
bill
That he got from the dry goods mer
chant's till,
Where it had been placed when the
butcher bought
And paid with the bill that he had got
When the grocer with him had settle
ment made
With the money the honest workman
paid.
P. S.— The heal dealer who's up to snuff
Will always advertise his stuff.
Why Lightning Rods Are Pointed.
The reason a lightning rod has a
sharp point is because a fine point of
fers no resistance to tbe discharge of
electricity and in order that a cloud
may be emptied of it noiselessly and
harmlessly. The degree of resistance
is iu proportion to the surface of the
object. If the rod were surmounted
by a knob, for instance, the discharge
would be violent. But many a light
ning rod has received an electrical dis
cbarge when the people in the build
ing below were calmly unconscious of
the face. Noncorrosive metal is used
for the point of the rod. as corrosion
makes resistance. The difference be
tween a point and a ball is shown in
discharging a battery. The full charge
from a large battery would be re
ceived quietly on a metal point, while
a moderate charge from a small one
would explode violently on a ball. It
is said that a full charge may be
passed harmlessly through a person's
body if received on the point of a
needle, whereas the same charge re
ceived on a discharger, with a ball or
knob on the end, would mean instant
death.
A Girl's Way.
It was a sweltering summer after
noon. Algernon sat hi the hammock,
and Claire occupied a wicker chair.
She was very pretty, and Algernon
was hopelessly in love with her. lie
was almost In despair as he sat look
ing at her playing with his heart, and
he knew it
"Oh. Claire!" he pleaded. "Why are
you so cold?"
"I am not Algle," she protested.
"You are, Claire," he insisted.
"And I say just as positively that I
am not"
"Claire, Claire!" he cried. "How
can you say that when you know you
have treated me like"—
"Oh," she Interrupted, fanning her
self lazily meanwhile. "I thought you
were talking about the weather, Al
gle."—Llppincott's.
Servants' Accomplishments.
A Brussels merchant advertised for
a servant. One applicant pleased him.
The terms and outings were arranged,
when the girl asked. "Who washes the
dishes?" Taken aback, the merchant
asked her to repeat her question. The
girl did so without turning a hair.
"Madame washes the dishes, and I
dry them," replied the merchant. "Can
you play the piano?" he asked.
"No," was the reply.
"Then I am afraid you will not suit,"
said the merchant. The girl retired
with a dignified air. With a politeness
which is described as exquisite she
turned to the merchant and said. "To
morrow I shall take lessons at the con
servatory, and as soon as I begin to
make progress I will call again!" This
story Is certified as authentic—Throne
and Country.
Their Size.
Lawyer (to deaf witness)—Do you
know the plaintiffs pigs?
Witness—Eh?
Lawyer (raising his voice)—Do—you
—know—plaintiff's pigs?
Witness—Yes.
Lawyer—How long have you known
them?
Witness—Eh?
Lawyer (louder still)—How long ha~*t»
you known them?
Witness—Fed 'em all last spring.
Lawyer—Were they all about a size?
Witness—Eh?
Lawyer (rises on his feet petulantly
and shakes bis forefinger at the con
clusion of each word at the witness)—
Were—they—all—of—a—size?
Witness—Some ov 'em wor, and
tome ov 'em worn't—Exchange.
His Dilemma.
Customer (nervously)—I want a beef
steak to take home to dinner. Unex
pected guest, you know. Wife tele
phoned me to get the steak. Jane al
ways buys the meat herself, you see,
and she's aw'fly particular. What
have you got?
The butcher (encouragingly)—Well,
wot do you say to a nice juicy porter
house, cut thick, or maybe you'd pre
fer a couple o' cuts of tenderloin?
Customer (still more nervously)—
Well, I'm blest if I know which. Say,
you couldn't lemme have a couple o'
samples to take home an* show her,
could you? It's only a half dozen
blocks from here.—Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
M* $L